There are ALWAYS more productive things I could/should be doing. If I was drinking 5 hour energy I would no doubt figure out how to run a successful business in person and online, write/edit/and publish my newest novel, update (and keep up to date) all my social media sights, maintain my creative exercises and physical exercise, cook three times a day from scratch, keep my house immaculate, and have a social life. But the copious quantities of Dr.Pepper and Coke I drink unfortunately have not promoted me to "able to perform miracles" status. So while I should be researching business ideas and new product ideas, the past couple days I have been reading up on my favorite blogs and just indulging me-ness.
Maybe I started feeling the need when I went to the little high school reunion/get together a couple weeks ago. I had expected to relive awkward old memories, and see how much we had all aged, but, instead, was swept into a surreal time warp where almost everyone looked the same as they did 16 years ago, and yet none of us had to act like awkward teenagers. Okay, there was one exception to the rule, but on the whole it was a pleasant experience that reminded me of good things, like how much fun drama was, how amazing Becky Lee Coon was, and how much I still want to be an author.
Beyond that, this past weekend was a barrel full of nostalgia. At long last, we had a weekend free. We opened the shop as usual, but cut out around 1 and headed east. I tried to add a photo, but blogger clearly hasn't figured out how to function with an iPad yet... Anyhow, the 8 hour drive was long, but the weather was perfect, and we got to Lewiston just early enough to catch a $1 movie, for old time's sake.
No one was awake at the homestead when we arrived, but, with a little persistent nudging, Sumatra did accept being petted. You'd never believe that pesky wonderful cat is 17 years old! The next day was divided between time with family and trips to our old haunts around the Moscow area. All good and entertaining.
Then came Sunday, and the arrival of the Shaw clan. How perfect that we were able to come up the weekend they flew down from Alaska. My teenage nieces are beautiful, hilarious, and straight up amazing. The day was spent catching up with the generations, and was concluded with a massive bonfire. I really wish I could post some of the photos, but, alas, that is not to be today.
We spent a bit more time with the family on Monday, not wanting to go, yet knowing that another 8 hour plus car ride was looming in our future. Thankfully, the pleasant weather held, and after photos documenting that my two oldest nieces now tower over me (thankfully not by quite as much as my three oldest nephews!) we were on our way back to Oregon.
As exhausting as all that driving can be, it was well worth the trip, and managed to be refreshing as well. The whole thing put me in the mood to reconnect, reflect, and get back into traveling...
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
2012 Photo Review
After being devastated when Mark told me that my photos had all been lost, I was thrilled when he figured out how to get the computer to work again! Yeah for being married to someone who knows how to make things function :) I thought I'd post a few photos to go over the past 12 months, and finish off some that I never got around to posting before.
January saw me working frantically on the last few pages of my novel (my goal is to get that thing published this year, one way or another) and continuing to enjoy the good life over in Czech.
February saw us enjoying every last minute of our time in Marianske Lazne, while planning for the future. Who knew that a year later we would know the shop we were contemplating so intimately. (We just finished inventory yesterday, which means we now know everything that is and is not in the store.)
Need I remind you, it was really cold there?
March brought us back to the US, and into silence. We spent a dizzying month making business deals left and right, and driving back and forth to Idaho. We relocated to McMinnville, and there really aren't any pictures from that month to speak of.
In April, May, and June we continued to settle into the new routine. Daily drives to Portland became the norm. In what little free time we had we took in some of the local sites, and planted a little garden.
July was a super busy month. We finally had a little vacation which we kicked off with my nephew Ryder's wedding, followed by a week long family reunion to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary.
My previous posts about the family reunion were cut short, so I'll share just a few more pictures from the trip to Sunriver.
My second cousin runs a ranch for abused horses called Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, which is located out in Bend. We headed out there for a day, which had all my horse crazy nieces and nephews ultra excited.
There was also an afternoon of rafting that lent itself to some lovely scenic shots, and left my front half a brilliant lobster red.
What can I say about August and September but that they were lovely warm months. There were a lot of beach trips, but with the computer not working, and my obsession with Instagram growing, most of my photos were not taken with my camera. October also lent itself well to beach trips, and I think that is when the incident of the seagulls took place. My parents had come for a visit, and we had to entertain them by making the birds fly!
In November I aged once again. I was joined in the celebration by my dear friend Rebekah, who flew up for the weekend to celebrate both of our birthdays, as well as the birthday party for Jessie's girls who are Novemberians as well. My sister Janet also planned a little surprise, which meant she, my sister Julie and her baby Myrtle, and my mother all landed on my doorstep Saturday morning. It was good fun to spend the day shopping, celebrating, and eating more than my usual share. Good times were had by all. No photos, I'm afraid. I think I'm getting too old for posing...perhaps...
December was a crazy time at work. Anyone who has ever done retail, or worked in a post office, can understand. We were excited by it, of course, because it meant we had a little extra to start our insanity January.
And that pretty much sums up my past year. Except for the fact that I spent 80 percent of my time trying to wrap my simple little brain around the concept of being a business owner, I don't have a whole lot of excuses for being so blog silent. I won't promise a hundred posts this year, but hopefully as things progress I'll be better able to keep it all in stride. I'll also have to add a few shots of our renovation progress. Wish us luck in this big new undertaking as we attempt to improve on all levels in the new year.
January saw me working frantically on the last few pages of my novel (my goal is to get that thing published this year, one way or another) and continuing to enjoy the good life over in Czech.
February saw us enjoying every last minute of our time in Marianske Lazne, while planning for the future. Who knew that a year later we would know the shop we were contemplating so intimately. (We just finished inventory yesterday, which means we now know everything that is and is not in the store.)
Need I remind you, it was really cold there?
March brought us back to the US, and into silence. We spent a dizzying month making business deals left and right, and driving back and forth to Idaho. We relocated to McMinnville, and there really aren't any pictures from that month to speak of.
In April, May, and June we continued to settle into the new routine. Daily drives to Portland became the norm. In what little free time we had we took in some of the local sites, and planted a little garden.
July was a super busy month. We finally had a little vacation which we kicked off with my nephew Ryder's wedding, followed by a week long family reunion to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary.
My previous posts about the family reunion were cut short, so I'll share just a few more pictures from the trip to Sunriver.
My second cousin runs a ranch for abused horses called Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, which is located out in Bend. We headed out there for a day, which had all my horse crazy nieces and nephews ultra excited.
There was also an afternoon of rafting that lent itself to some lovely scenic shots, and left my front half a brilliant lobster red.
What can I say about August and September but that they were lovely warm months. There were a lot of beach trips, but with the computer not working, and my obsession with Instagram growing, most of my photos were not taken with my camera. October also lent itself well to beach trips, and I think that is when the incident of the seagulls took place. My parents had come for a visit, and we had to entertain them by making the birds fly!
In November I aged once again. I was joined in the celebration by my dear friend Rebekah, who flew up for the weekend to celebrate both of our birthdays, as well as the birthday party for Jessie's girls who are Novemberians as well. My sister Janet also planned a little surprise, which meant she, my sister Julie and her baby Myrtle, and my mother all landed on my doorstep Saturday morning. It was good fun to spend the day shopping, celebrating, and eating more than my usual share. Good times were had by all. No photos, I'm afraid. I think I'm getting too old for posing...perhaps...
December was a crazy time at work. Anyone who has ever done retail, or worked in a post office, can understand. We were excited by it, of course, because it meant we had a little extra to start our insanity January.
And that pretty much sums up my past year. Except for the fact that I spent 80 percent of my time trying to wrap my simple little brain around the concept of being a business owner, I don't have a whole lot of excuses for being so blog silent. I won't promise a hundred posts this year, but hopefully as things progress I'll be better able to keep it all in stride. I'll also have to add a few shots of our renovation progress. Wish us luck in this big new undertaking as we attempt to improve on all levels in the new year.
Monday, September 17, 2012
50 Years...
On July 20th my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary. There is no denying that 50 years is a long time for anything. 50 years of marriage, now that is definitely a serious commitment and something to be celebrated. We weren't actually able to be there with them to commemorate the day, but after my nephews wedding we headed to Central Oregon, Sun River to be exact, and met up with the rest of my siblings and their kids. It's quite an accomplishment to get us all together, seeing as how there are 26 of us in the family these days, spread out in Kansas, Alaska, Idaho and Oregon. Everyone managed to make it to our wedding, but that was a hectic time to say the least, so this was really the first time we were all together since my parents retirement party back in 2007.
For those that don't know, Sun River is literally a town built for tourists. There are all these beautiful vacation homes that the owners rent out to guests. In the winter it's a skiing destination, and in the summer it's a haven for bikers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts. We rented two houses, each with hot tubs, and one with a single lane lap pool, and enjoyed all the pleasures of being together.
I've always had a rather unique position in my family. Being the youngest, I'm actually closer in age to a couple of my nephews than I am to my oldest siblings. I was never one of those married women, so at holidays and family gatherings I was more than happy to keep the kids entertained and leave the kitchen things to the "real" women. Things haven't changed a whole lot so it's not surprising that most of my pictures are of my fabulous nieces and nephews.
I love watching the cousins interacting together. Finally, at the age of six, Josh and Rowan have decided they can be friends, rather than competitors, and the girls have always had a great time together.
Of course, Miss Myrtle was a big attraction as the newest addition to the family. The older girls all took turns oohing and ahhing over the cutie little baby.
I don't know how it works out for other people, but when our family gets together we have to have a plan or basically nothing gets done. We had a few events planned, but mostly the days started slowly with big pancake breakfasts, then there was the general discussions about what to do, who would go where, and the endless amount of time it took to actually get people ready to go anywhere.
Once we got together, however, there were lots of great experiences to be had like a bike trip along the river. We stopped to check out this bridge
so we could enjoy this view
but when I went to stand in a photo I slid my hand along it and filled it with slivers. And I mean seriously filled. There were at least twenty of them buried in my flesh. Amazing how easily they slide in and how brutal they are to remove. Once I got over the shock of it, I decided to continue with the bike ride. Maybe not my brightest moment, but such is life. We went to a waterfall and got a nice bit of exercise as well.
After the ride we attempted to remove some of the slivers, but it was so brutally painful that I just gave up. It was a good week before they finally made their way out. Leave it to me to injure myself at the very beginning of the fun.
Well, I still have quite a few more pictures to share, but it's getting late and so I think I'll leave you with one last one of my fun girls. Today, my oldest niece turned 17! They grow up way too fast for sure.
For those that don't know, Sun River is literally a town built for tourists. There are all these beautiful vacation homes that the owners rent out to guests. In the winter it's a skiing destination, and in the summer it's a haven for bikers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts. We rented two houses, each with hot tubs, and one with a single lane lap pool, and enjoyed all the pleasures of being together.
I've always had a rather unique position in my family. Being the youngest, I'm actually closer in age to a couple of my nephews than I am to my oldest siblings. I was never one of those married women, so at holidays and family gatherings I was more than happy to keep the kids entertained and leave the kitchen things to the "real" women. Things haven't changed a whole lot so it's not surprising that most of my pictures are of my fabulous nieces and nephews.
I love watching the cousins interacting together. Finally, at the age of six, Josh and Rowan have decided they can be friends, rather than competitors, and the girls have always had a great time together.
Of course, Miss Myrtle was a big attraction as the newest addition to the family. The older girls all took turns oohing and ahhing over the cutie little baby.
I don't know how it works out for other people, but when our family gets together we have to have a plan or basically nothing gets done. We had a few events planned, but mostly the days started slowly with big pancake breakfasts, then there was the general discussions about what to do, who would go where, and the endless amount of time it took to actually get people ready to go anywhere.
Once we got together, however, there were lots of great experiences to be had like a bike trip along the river. We stopped to check out this bridge
so we could enjoy this view
but when I went to stand in a photo I slid my hand along it and filled it with slivers. And I mean seriously filled. There were at least twenty of them buried in my flesh. Amazing how easily they slide in and how brutal they are to remove. Once I got over the shock of it, I decided to continue with the bike ride. Maybe not my brightest moment, but such is life. We went to a waterfall and got a nice bit of exercise as well.
After the ride we attempted to remove some of the slivers, but it was so brutally painful that I just gave up. It was a good week before they finally made their way out. Leave it to me to injure myself at the very beginning of the fun.
Well, I still have quite a few more pictures to share, but it's getting late and so I think I'll leave you with one last one of my fun girls. Today, my oldest niece turned 17! They grow up way too fast for sure.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Soon Umbrellas Must Make Everything Rainy
I love summertime, and I'm not ashamed to say it. Sunshine is my friend. It makes my world seem more balanced, more right. And yet I have returned to the land of rainy gray seasons that take up the better part of the year. We have been so blessed to have an amazingly beautiful summer, but now the mornings are downright chilly, and very soon I'll be heading home in the dark.
In honor of these last few blissful days of blue skies and warm temperatures, I thought it best to post some of my summer pics that have been left out for too long.
This summer things in my family made a big change. Last year I was the final member of my siblings to get married, this summer my nephew, Ryder, had his day in the sun as he welcomed his beautiful bride Lauren into our family.
The wedding took place up at the Mt Ashland Ski Lodge just south of Medford. The weather was beautiful, although at that ele
vation the chill in the air didn't take long to show up as we headed into the evening.
The ceremony was beautiful, and it was quite amazing to watch my Dad, just a few days before his own 50th anniversary, perform his grandson's service. It was also great to see my nephews all dressed up :)
After the Mr. and Mrs. were announced, we had the chance to follow them in a little ride.
I enjoyed having the chance to have a little romantic ride with my Love as well ;)
We caught up with the bride and groom at the top of the mountain.
Then we headed back down for a fabulous dinner, followed by the amazing wedding cake that Lauren made. If only I had known her better at our wedding, I would have WAY rather had her make our cake. It would no doubt have been a thousand times better than the pathetically tipping cake that we had.
Also, at the wedding, I met my new niece, Myrtle, for the first time. Here she is with her cousin Jack who gave himself the title of "The Baby Whisperer."
Stay tuned. Next time I'll put up some photos of the incredible week we spent with the whole family in honor of my parent's 50th anniversary.
In honor of these last few blissful days of blue skies and warm temperatures, I thought it best to post some of my summer pics that have been left out for too long.
This summer things in my family made a big change. Last year I was the final member of my siblings to get married, this summer my nephew, Ryder, had his day in the sun as he welcomed his beautiful bride Lauren into our family.
The wedding took place up at the Mt Ashland Ski Lodge just south of Medford. The weather was beautiful, although at that ele
vation the chill in the air didn't take long to show up as we headed into the evening.
The ceremony was beautiful, and it was quite amazing to watch my Dad, just a few days before his own 50th anniversary, perform his grandson's service. It was also great to see my nephews all dressed up :)
After the Mr. and Mrs. were announced, we had the chance to follow them in a little ride.
I enjoyed having the chance to have a little romantic ride with my Love as well ;)
We caught up with the bride and groom at the top of the mountain.
Then we headed back down for a fabulous dinner, followed by the amazing wedding cake that Lauren made. If only I had known her better at our wedding, I would have WAY rather had her make our cake. It would no doubt have been a thousand times better than the pathetically tipping cake that we had.
Also, at the wedding, I met my new niece, Myrtle, for the first time. Here she is with her cousin Jack who gave himself the title of "The Baby Whisperer."
Stay tuned. Next time I'll put up some photos of the incredible week we spent with the whole family in honor of my parent's 50th anniversary.
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